The religious landscape amidst warfare in Ukraine: assessing the situation

Yevhen Kharkovshchenko; Oleksander Kostiuk; Eugene Piletsky; Oleh Zubchyk; Vitalii Turenko

doi:10.31893/multiscience.2024ss0728

Keywords:

Abstract

The purpose of the academic paper is to provide a general description of the milestone events in the religious and church life of Ukraine in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, with an emphasis on tendencies after the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. Given that the war is ongoing, we focused on issues related to the receipt of the Tomos by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the religious component of the “Russkiy mir” policy. Sociological indicators from monitoring the religious situation in Ukraine after the full-scale invasion demonstrate the following trends: war, especially a full-scale invasion, has impacted all spheres of life but religion continues to remain a significant factor in socio-humanitarian life; religious diversity is maintained with the predominance of Orthodox communities; regional differences on the religious map of Ukraine persist; after the full-scale invasion, there has been a slight increase in the number of people identifying as religious, and the number of citizens seeking communication with clergy has increased, primarily for psycho-emotional relief and support. The importance of religion and the Church in humanitarian missions, balancing society’s spiritual condition, and helping people in need of material and other support, such as volunteer labor or a refugee shelter, is becoming increasingly clear. The war has significantly forced many believers and spiritual leaders of denominations to reconsider their attitude to the war and civic engagement in the war. These tendencies are especially noticeable in the Protestant environment. In the territories occupied by Russia, believers of different communities and denominations continue to be harassed, religious freedom is violated, and a deliberate policy of incorporating religious space into the mainstream of Russian religious and church policy within the framework of the ideology of the “Russkiy mir” and the Russian Orthodox Church is being pursued.
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How to cite

Kharkovshchenko, Y., Kostiuk, O., Piletsky, E., Zubchyk, O., & Turenko, V. (2024). The religious landscape amidst warfare in Ukraine: assessing the situation. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 6, 2024ss0728. https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2024ss0728

[1] A Terrible Sermon: Patriarch of Moscow Blesses «Metaphysical» War Against the «World of Gay Prides» (2022). Bitter winter a magazine on religious liberty and human rights. https://bitterwinter.org/patriarch-of-moscow-blesses-war-against-gay-prides/

[2] All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations. https://vrciro.org.ua/ua

[3] Anthropology of Religion: Comparative Studies from the Carpathians to the Caucasus (2019). Ed. Wanner, C., Buiskykh, Yu. Kyiv: Spirit and Letter.

[4] Barsukova, O. (2022). Believers and mobilization: is it possible to avoid mobilization through religion or undergo alternative service during war? Ukrainian Pravda. Life, 22. https://life.pravda.com.ua/society/2022/11/22/251442/

[5] Basauri Zyuzina, A. M., Leshchynskyi, A., Nikiforov, K., Pidgorna, L., Sevastyaniv, U., Fenno, I., Khalikov, R. (2023). Religion is on fire. Report on the results of monitoring the damage and destruction of religious buildings as a result of the large-scale Russian military invasion of Ukraine. Workshop of academic religious studies. https://www.mar.in.ua/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Religion-on-Fire-report-2023-UKR.pdf

[6] Bokoch, A. (2017). Religion in the hybrid war in eastern Ukraine. Bulletin of NTUU "KPI". Politology. Sociology. Right. 1-2(33-34), 27-31. http://visnyk-psp.kpi.ua/article/view/140647/137718

[7] Brylov, D. (2019). Potential dangers of the religious situation in Ukraine. Digital repository of Mykhailo Drahomanov Ukrainian State University. Amsterdam: RAH. https://enpuir.npu.edu.ua/bitstream/handle/123456789/34842/religious-situation-in-ukraine-2019-ua-version.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

[8] Brylov, D., Kalenychenko, T., Kryshtal, A. (2023). Mapping the Religious Landscape of Ukraine. European Center for Strategic Analytics. United States Institute of Peace, 193. https://www.usip.org/publications/2023/10/mapping-religious-landscape-ukraine

[9] Cherenkov, M. (2014). The Church in conditions of war. Position of Protestants. Religious Information Service of Ukraine. https://risu.ua/ru/cerkva-v-umovah-viyni-poziciya-protestantiv_n107214

[10] Clay, J. E. (2022). Two Orthodox Christian countries at war – here’s an explanation of the faith tradition shared by Russia and Ukraine. The Conversation, 28. https://theconversation.com/two-orthodox-christian-countries-at-war-heres-an-explanation-of-the-faith-tradition-shared-by-russia-and-ukraine-179270

[11] Fomenko, A. (2018). The concept of "Russian peace" as a manifestation of cooperation between religion and government. East, 3(155), 63-68. https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/api/file/viewByFileId/498807.pdf

[12] Gurzhy, A. (2015). Consequences of the implementation of the "Russian measure" doctrine in Ukraine. The Eastern Ukrainian conflict in the context of global transformations: a collection of scientific works. Ukrainian Institute of Global Development and Adaptation Strategies; Ukrainian cultural center, 81-95. Donetsk: Eastern Publishing House LLC. https://uisgda.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Sh_dnoukrayinskiy-konfl_kt_Ukr.pdf#page=81

[13] Horkusha, O. (2023). Terminological front: "Russian measure" in religious and confessional rhetoric (religious perception of existential choice). Philosophical Thought, 1, 26-44. https://doi.org/10.15407/fd2023.01.026

[14] Horkusha, O. (2023). Terminological front: «ruskiy mir» («russian world/peace») in religious and confessional rhetoric (the science of religion perception of existential choice). Philosophical Thought, 1, 26-44.

[15] Horokholinska, I. (2023). "Visualization" of the social functions of religion through the optics of war. Cultural Almanac, 3, 106-111. https://doi.org/10.31392/cult.alm.2023.3.14

[16] Houston, A., Mandaville, P. (2022). The Role of Religion in Russia’s War on Ukraine. United States Institute of Peace, 17. https://www.usip.org/publications/2022/03/role-religion-russias-war-ukraine

[17] Kalenychenko, T., Brylov, D. (2022a). Ukrainian religious actors and organizations after russia's invasion: the struggle for peace. European Center for Strategic Analytics. Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs at Georgetown University. https://www.ecsa.com.ua/ua/category/publications/

[18] Kalenychenko, T., Brylov, D. (2022b). «Whoever saves one life saves the world entire»: Ukrainian religious denominations during the war. European Center for Strategic Analytics. https://www.ecsa.com.ua/ua/whoever-saves-one-life-saves-the-world-entire-ukrainian-religious-denominations-during-the-war-2/

[19] Khutsanu, S. (2023). "This war for us is jihad." Mufti of Crimea Ayder Rustemov about the war with the Russian Federation through the eyes of Ukrainian Muslims. The Village. https://www.village.com.ua/village/city/city-interview/337265-muftiy-krimu-ayder-rustemov-pro-viynu-ochima-ukrayinskih-musulman

[20] Law of Ukraine On alternative (non-military) service. (1992). Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Legislation of Ukraine. https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1975-12#Text

[21] Leustean, L. N. (2022). Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: The First Religious War in the 21st Century. LSE Religion and Global Society, 3. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/religionglobalsociety/2022/03/russias-invasion-of-ukraine-the-first-religious-war-in-the-21st-century/

[22] Levchenko, T. (2022). "I had to both hide and marry": Mufti of Muslims of Ukraine Said Ismagilov at the front. Radio Svoboda. Crimea. Realia. https://ua.krymr.com/a/said-ismahilov-muftiy-na-viyni/32021245.html

[23] Muslims of Ukraine. A year of war. (2023). Ukrinform. https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-presshall/3673892-musulmani-ukraini-rik-vijni.html#google_vignette

[24] Palinchak, M., Bokoch, V. (2023). Religious factor in the current russia-ukraine war. East European Historical Bulletin, 26, 164-173. http://eehb.dspu.edu.ua/article/view/275209/270817

[25] Pavlenko, P. (2024). Protestants of Ukraine and the cause of Victory. Religious Information Service of Ukraine. https://risu.ua/protestanti-ukrayini-i-sprava-peremogi_n145283

[26] Religion is on fire. Workshop of academic religious studies. https://www.mar.in.ua

[27] Report on the network of religious organizations in Ukraine as of January 1, 2023 (according to regional state (military) administrations). (2023). State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience. Religion. Statistical materials. Report on the network of religious organizations. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DPcG1qbaPVlWEDo39b70mIyjvRLtwpJR/edit#gid=1438629090

[28] Rusnak, I. (2022). Functional potential of religion in the context of war. Educational discourse: collection of scientific papers, 41(7-9), 57-65. https://enpuir.npu.edu.ua/bitstream/handle/123456789/39390/Rusnak.pdf?sequence=1

[29] Wanner, C. (2022). Everyday Religiosity and the Politics of Belonging in Ukraine. Cornell University Press. https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501764967/everyday-religiosity-and-the-politics-of-belonging-in-ukraine/#bookTabs=4

[30] Wanner, С., Yelensky, V. (2019). Religion and the Cultural Geography of Ukraine. Regionalism without Regions. Reconceptualizing Ukraine's Heterogeneity, 247-295. Central European University Press. https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/62213699/Yelensky___Wanner20200227-83315-gy80z6-libre.pdf?1582804694=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DYelensky_and_Wanner.pdf&Expires=1707658828&Signature=Cf4UpGUEnhiJnfPsODMgDfIX4v6t~TRzln4sM9fseqbUlj5cJf

[31] ykzQ0rHecUi0gSEI9Ln1bEcP8KlMlQobRbhduv0LReZmAtlxAQ1wUI0Y6yLcTuVW-X-hkjLZQ3yYIjwVo-AOVAFGhqQ0H15Btqj0aDOi4pI69uQM2AuemlhprGU8zi7RMFo9H

[32] N9UJ0a4zTVWr5kvuF4W3M7PJK3SoRABgRpTCQptXNuR-xxD5A4DCwjqYlqaoWdz3r7f-9k9MyGazzeF4WD6pvwd9GNOln-BbsiHp8TNVVhrUPzu7chPN7qY7c0LQ7KLYS8

[33] QMveH9r96F22JX39K9k2Eo3HojHVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA

[34] Yakymenko, Yu., Bychenko, A., Mishchenko, M. (2023). Ukrainian society, the state and the church during the war. Church and religious situation in Ukraine-2023 (Information materials). Kyiv: Razumkov Center. https://razumkov.org.ua/images/2023/12/19/2023-Religiya-F.pdf

[35] Yakymenko, Yu., Bychenko, A., Mishchenko, M., Shangina L. (2022). War and the church. Church and religious situation in Ukraine in 2022 (Information materials). Kyiv: Razumkov Center. https://razumkov.org.ua/images/2023/02/13/2022_Religiya_SITE.pdf

[36] Zborovska, K. (2022). Analysis and deconstruction of the main ideologues of the "Russian World" doctrine (2022). Studia Orientalne, R. 11, 4(24), 95-114. https://doi.org/10.15804/so2022406

[37] Zdioruk, S., Tokman, V. (2023). State-church and socio-religious relations in the conditions of Russia's war against Ukraine: an analytical report. Kyiv: NISD. https://niss.gov.ua/sites/default/files/2023-07/religiini_vidnosyny_dopovid_13072023_zdioruk.pdf

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References

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